Carburetor valve control



Nov. 19, 1935. R. M. CALLIHAN 2,021,832

CARBURETOR VALVE CONTROL Filed May 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV NTOR ATTORN EY Nov. 19, 1935. R. M. CALLIHAN 2,021,832

CARBURETOR VALVE CONTROL Filed May 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MI'ZZZCZZZZW,

INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEY Patented Nov.- 19, 1935 UNl'lED STATES- PATENT oFI-mE 2,021,832 oAaBUnn'roR. VALVE coN'raoL Robert M. Callilian, Foley, Fla. Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 726,872 7 Claims. (ill. 192 .0l)

This invention relates toan automatic carburetor throttle valve control, and has for the primary object the provision of a device which is especially adaptable for motor vehicles whereby the driver may control the speed of the vehicle in a. conventional manner or may set the device so that the motor vehicle may be automatically maintained at a selected speed under varying loads or when traveling on the level or uphill,

in relieving the driver of manually governing the speed of the vehicle when desired.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for rendering the automatic carburetor throttle valve control inoperative during the slowing down or stopping of the vehicle so that the engine may operate at idling speed.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a portion of a motor vehicle and its engine with my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing my invention connected to the throttle valve of a carburetor of the engine and its connection with the intake manifold of the engine and with the battery or other electrical source of the automobile.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail view, partly in section, showing a switch actuated by. the depressing of either the clutch or brake pedals of the automobile.

Figure 6 is a front elevation, partly in section,-

illustrating a resistor control switch mountable upon the steering post or column of the automobile.

the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a fragmentary portion of an automobile, the engine thereofbeing indicated by the character 2. My invention, indicated by the '55 numeral 3, in entirety is mounted in any suitable manner to the automobile adjacent the-engine and preferably near the carburetor d of theengine. The carburetor has the usual throttle valve 5 for controlling the fuel to the engine and consequently controlling the speed 'of the 5 engine. The stem of the valve is indicated by the character 6 and has secured thereto a sleeve i on which is formed an arm 8 to be connected to my invention by a rod or link 9. The sleeve i rotatably receives a. shaft iii forming part of 10 the usual foot accelerator '1 lot the automobile.

A pin i2 is carried by the shaft l0 andoperates in a slot it in said sleeve i so that the position of the throttle valve 5 may be varied by the foot accelerator. The pin and slot arrangement per- 1 mits operation of the valve 5 by my invention without effecting ormoving the foot accelerator and also permits the manual control of the carburetor by the accelerator when desired.

The device indicated by the character 3 con- 20 sists of a solenoid l4 having a slidable core it working against the action of the coil spring is, the tension of which may be varied through the adjustment of a bushing or sleeve ii. The core l5 has a pin and slot connection with an arm I8 25 of a bell crank lever l9, the latter being pivoted to a support 20 carried by the casing of the solenoid. The arm 2! of the bell crank lever I9 is pivoted to the rod or link 9 thereby'establishing an operative connection between the core 30 of the solenoid and the throttle valve 5.

Removably secured to the casing of the solenoid is a cylinder 22 in which is slidably mounted a piston 23, the stem 24 thereof being suitably connected to the core l5 by extending through a packing gland 25 and the bushing or sleeve IT. The connection between the cylinder 22 and the casing of the solenoid is by spaced arms 26 which will permit a person to readily turn the sleeve or bushing I! for varying the tension of the spring IS. A removable head 21 is provided for the cylinder 22 and has a vent opening 28. A pipe 29 is connected to the cylinder and to the intake manifold 80 of the engine 2. The cylinder forms a vacuum chamber and the vacuum is established by the operation of the engine from the intake manifold and the vacuum acts upon the piston 23 to urge the throttle valve in the direction towards a closed position while the energization of the electro-magnet actsjto urge the valve towards an-open position.

The solenoid l4 includes a potential winding 3| and a current winding. The potential winding and the current winding are connected to a ground 33 by a, conductor 84. The current current flow.

winding is connected to a switch 35 located adjacent the clutch and brake pedals 36' and 31' of the motor vehicle and the switch 35 is connected to a resistor control switch 36 by a conductor 31. The switch 36 is preferably mounted upon a steering column 33 of the motor vehicle so that it can be conveniently operated by the driver., The switch 36 is connected to a switch 39 mounted on the instrument board of the mo: tor vehicle and is of the manually actuated type; the connection between the switches 36 and 33 being by way of a conductor 43. The switch 33 is connected to a battery ll of the motor vehicle.

A conductor 42 is connected to the dead side of the switch 39 and to the potential winding of the solenoid. The switch 36 is equipped with a finger piece 33 having an indicator 4 movable over a dial 45. The dial is graduated and supplied with characters to indicate miles-per hour so that by setting the indicator on the scale on the dial to a selected mile per hour the core I! will be drawn into the solenoid against the resistance of the spring l6 a certain amount for the opening of the throttle valve to maintain the operation of th engine at the selected speed for the motor vvehic e. The load variances on the engine due to the vehicle traveling on level and uphill will aifect the vacuum developed in the cylinder 22 so that as the load decreases the vacuum increases for permitting the throttle valve to open a greater extent for maintaining the op-' eration of the engine at the selected rate of speed.

The depressing of either the clutch or foot pedal for the p se of retarding or stopping .the motor vehicle, the switch 36 will be actuated to interrupt the circuit to the current winding of the solenoid, consequently permitting the vacuum and spring l6 to act to move the throttle valve to a position for maintaining the engine operating at idling speed. The potential winding of the solenoid is still energized during the opening of the switch 33 for the p se of retaining the solenoid core in a central position and excited ready to move with the slightest change in When desiring to render the automatic control of the throttle valve inoperative the driver opens the switch 39 and the speed of the engine then may be manually controlled through the actuation of the foot accelerator I I.

The switch 35 includes in its construction an arm 46 underlying the clutch and brake pedals of the automobile and normally maintained in engagement therewith by a spring I! so that a depressed movement of either of the pedals will effect the opening of the circuit to the current winding of the solenoid for the purpose heretofore described.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. An automatic carburetor throttle valve control including an engine having an intake manifold and a control valve therefor and an electric circuit, electrical means connected to the electric circuit and to the throttle valve for opening said valve, and vacuum means connected to and acting in opposition to the electrical means and connected to the intake manifold for moving said valve towards closed position and responsive to the degree of vacuum in the intake manifold to determine the opening movement imparted to the valve by said electrical means.

2. An automatic carburetor throttle valve control including an engine having an intake manifold and a control valve therefor and an electric.

circuit, electrical means connected to the electric circuit and to the throttle valve, manually controlled means in said circuit for actuating said electrical means for opening the valve, and vacuum means connected-to and acting in opposition to the electrical means. and connected to the intake manifold for moving said valve towards closed position and responsive to the degree of vacuum in the intake manifold to determine the opening movement imparted to the valve by said electrical means.

3.'An automatic carburetor throttle'v'alve con- 10 trol including an engine having an intake mani fold and a control valve therefor and an electric circuit, a solenoid electrically connected to said electric circuit. and having a core, means for connecting the core to the throttle valve, spring means acting against the core in opposition tothe movement of the core by the energization of the solenoid, means in said electric circuit for varying the action of the solenoid upon the core for opening the valve, and a vacuum means connected to the core and to the intake manifold for moving said valve towards closed position and responsive to the degree of vacuum in the intake manifold'to determine the opening movement imparted to the valve by said solenoid.

4. An automatic carburetor throttle valve control including'an engine having an intake manifold and a control valve therefor and an electric circuit, a solenoid electrically connected to said electric circuit and having a core, means for connecting the core to the throttle valve,-. spring means acting against the core in opposition to the movement of the core by the energization of the solenoid, means in said electric circuit for varying the action of the solenoid upon the core for opening the valve, a vacuum means connected to the core and to the intake manifold for moving said valve towards closed position and responsive to the degree of vacuum in the intake manifold to determine the opening movement 40' imparted to the valve by said solenoid, and means in said electric circuit for breaking the latter to render said solenoid inoperative.

5. An automatic carburetor throttle valve control including an engine having an intake mani 5 fold and a control valve therefor and an electric circuit, electrical means connected in the electric circuit and to the throttle valve for opening said valve, a vacuum cylinder connected to the intake manifold, and a piston operating in said cylinder and connected to said electrical means and acting in opposition to the latter by the vacuum in said cylinder for moving said valve towards closed position and responsive to the degree of vacuum in the intake manifold to determine the opening movement imparted to said valve by the electrical means.

6. In combination with a motor vehicle provided with clutch and brake pedals and an engine having an intake manifold and a control 90' valve actuated by an accelerator, an electric circuit, a solenoid electrically connected to said electric circuit and having a core, means connecting said core to the control valve, spring means engaging the core to urge the control and actuated by the movement of either the gine having an intake manifold and a control valve actuated by an accelerator, an electric circuit, a solenoid electrically connected to said electric circuit and having a core, means con-' 1 necting said'core to the control valve, spring means engaging the core to urge the control valve towards closed position, a manually controlled means in said circuit for varying the actionoi the solenoid upon the core for openina the valve-vacuum means connected to the intake the first-named circuit isabroken,

maniioldand to core for moving said valve towards closed-position and responsive to the degree 0! vacuum in the intake manifold to determine the opening movement, imparted to the valve by the solenoid, means in said circuit and is actuated by the movement or either the brake or clutch pedal for. breaking said circuit and permitting operationjoi the control valve .by the accelerator, and a secondary circuit for the solenoid to maintain the core in a position for 10 holding the throttle valve partially open tomaintainthe engine operating at idling speed when some as. 0511mm. is 

